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<h1>
    KRAFTWERK
</h1>

<div class="quote">
    "Will this page be available in two languages too?"<br />

    <img alt="H&uuml;tter, Schneider, Fl&uuml;r and Bartos" src="images/kraftwerk.png" />
</div>

<div class="members">
    Ralf H&uuml;tter, Florian Schneider, Wolfgang Fl&uuml;r and Karl Bartos<br />

    <a href="http://www.southparkstudios.com/games/create.html">South Park Create-A-Character</a>
</div>

<p class="albumList">
  <a href="#kraftwerk">Kraftwerk</a><br />
  <a href="#kraftwerk2">Kraftwerk 2</a><br />
  <a href="#florian">Ralf Und Florian</a><br />
  <a href="#autobahn">Autobahn</a><br />
  <a href="#aktivitat">Radio-Aktivit&auml;t</a><br />
  <a href="#express">Trans-Europe Express</a><br />
  <a href="#machine">The Man Machine</a><br />
  <a href="#world">Computer World</a><br />
  <a href="#cafe">Electric Cafe</a><br />
  <a href="#soundtracks">Tour De France Soundtracks</a><br />
</p>

<p>Hooray! This is great. I may be alone in this, but Kraftwerk is one of the most <em>fun</em> bands that I know, and reviewing them is something I've been willing to do for quite some time. And now, here I go!</p>

<p>Kraftwerk isn't any kind of obscure band. The krautrock movement in Germany <em>is</em> a quite... "alien" thing to some people, what with all those bands like Faust and Amon D&uuml;&uuml;l II, Tangerine Dream and all. But I suppose Kraftwerk became the most popular band of them all, and easily one of the most important and influent. Most people know them as the four guys that play entire shows on computers without seemingly moving a muscle, putting out repetitive music with repetitive beats, sparse lyrics, Vocoded voices and catchy-as-heck synth riffs. However, Kraftwerk wasn't always like that. When they started, they were every bit as weird as most krautrock bands of their time. They only hit it big when they found their own image, sound and formula - and it was such a striking combination that it became an incredible influence on hundreds of artists, especially the ones interested in Electronica. It's no wonder why they're considered the <em>fathers</em> of electronic music - not in the sense that they <em>invented</em> synthesizer music (they didn't), but in the sense that they made something tangible, catchy and accessible with it. You must know all the so-called Dance music, Trance, House and all of that. And all of that owe a <em>lot</em> to Kraftwerk (as well as other important pioneers, too). And I even think artists like Jean Michel Jarre took their cues from the Germans. Even though Vangelis had been developing his own brand of Electronica years before, a lot of elements from Kraftwerk can be found on <strong>Equinoxe</strong> and <strong>Les Chants Magn&egrave;tiques</strong>, for example.</p>

<p>Thing is, Kraftwerk is an exceptional band. But they're not for everyone. Even in their golden period, their music may be just <em>too</em> repetitive for some people. It <em>is</em> repetitive in essence, and that's part of what truly makes them Kraftwerk. But once you get over that, you'll find an entire world of gorgeous sonic landscapes, subtle but tought-provoking lyricism, and most importantly, the unforgettable melodies and riffs. Their music was an constant evolution, and it's very fun to follow their discography to find how they really became what we now know as The Robots. Follow me in this review page, and we'll try to find that out together!</p>

<p class="guide">
  The Kraftwerk Discography Guide
</p>
<ul>
  <li>Best album for starters: <strong>The Man Machine</strong> - It sums up the best things about Kraftwerk in one solid, reasonably accessible package.</li>
  <li>Essential album: <strong>Computer World</strong> - If you don't know it, you don't know Kraftwerk at all.</li>
  <li>Best album: <strong>Trans Europe Express</strong> - The most gorgeous, resonant and awe-inspiring thing Kraftwerk ever put out.</li>
  <li>Worst album: <strong>Electric Cafe</strong> - You don't really need this one, unless you're a fan.</li>
  <li>Best compilation: <strong>The Mix</strong> - I don't know if I can include this one as a compilation, but it's a selection of Kraftwerk tracks <em>entirely rerecorded</em> by the band. Worth checking out.</li>
</ul>

<p><a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Mail your ideas</a>!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="kraftwerk">Kraftwerk (1971)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Ruckzuck</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li>Ruckzuck <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Stratovarius</li>
  <li>Megaherz</li>
  <li>Vom Himmel Hoch</li>
</ol>

<p>By this time, Kraftwerk was <em>barely</em> beginning to show up. Ralf H&uuml;tter and Florian Schneider had just left the improvisational band Organisation and were forming their own project, along with producer Conny Plank. And by this time, their goals and ambitions were <em>far</em> different from what you'd imagine them to be. Just think: they were among hundreds of German weirdos that were fully immersed in Avant-garde and stuff, and it was only natural they would follow <em>that</em> road. Still, the album is quite unique. Here, the trio proceeded to produce the most Noisy, most Messy, most Scary, Rusty, Stripy, Sporty, Stretchy, Spotty, Tiny, Flappy the Bat and the Sparky Twins (that's that?) and that's that - album they could do. And somehow they did! And the album's so unrelated to what everyone knows about Kraftwerk that even the band itself neglects its existance - so much that they never reissued this album in CD. As a result, I have it on a bootleg copy recorded straight from vinyl. But that's good - makes it even more nostalgic, heh heh.</p>

<p>So before you immerse yourself into the album, you show expect a <em>lot</em> of weird, loud noise, but also quite a lot of music too! By this point, the duo was still using "natural" instruments, so there's plenty of violin, flute, guitars, drums, and even a Farfisa organ and piano. But they were also interested in extracting all sorts of weird noises in all sorts of manners from all sorts of gadgets and objects. And if you're one of those that gets a lot of enjoyment from hearing noises and thinking "Wow, how the HELL they did that in 1971?", this album may delight you. But in a purely musical level, there's only one track that <em>really</em> sounds like a blessing here. 'Ruckzuck' is built on a really cool, funky groove, but most importantly, the unstoppable push and pull of air into Florian's flute. So, you have that plinking organ, the bass drone, and one scratchy flute in each speaker. But, as you should know, these guys loved noise, and also loved messing with the tempo, so the song begins to accelerate for some reason, and then, you're taken into an onslaught of pounding and pumping noise, phased drums, organs, and whatever sounds they manage to produce. It's still fun, though! You just have to enjoy those noises. If you do, you'll probably like the song.</p>

<p>The rest is much, much less stable - bits of "music" are interspersed with constant buzzing, pounding and scratching noises of all sorts. The main problem of this stuff is that there's hardly any <em>purpose</em> for these noises to be there. They might be a quite impressive achievement, but they hardly state anything. So, how can I judge this as a work of art? I mean, unless you really dig this kind of sound, you'll find an extremely empty, easily dislikeable album. However, I <em>do</em> dig this to some extent, so I can't give it a really low grade.</p>

<p>Aside from 'Ruckzuck', one of the must "musical" bits would be 'Megaherz'. After a long introduction of noise of some kind, you're taken to an ambient of flute and organ, and it shows that they <em>could</em> do something beautiful if they wanted to. But when they <em>didn't</em> want to, it resulte in 'Vom Himmel Hoch', built on a wicked "joke" - you see, the title means "From Heaven Above", so there's a lot of sounds of bombs falling. Dark humour, eh? Yeah. It also features a <em>really</em> weird, but <em>really</em> cool "dialogue" of synth-like sounds near the seventh minute, and that makes the track worth listening to. Overall, though, the main formula is to start with a lot of loose sounds and noises, and then, enter a funky groove, and then, alter the speed, the tempo, or screw up the groove big time. That's exactly what happens with 'Stratovarius' - for some time, I thought that was the name for a really freaky insect, but then I found out it was just a pun with the <em>Strato</em>caster guitar and the Strado<em>varius</em> violin - two instruments that are widely used in the track. Florian has a real knack for applying ugly, cruel effects to the instruments he plays. But anyway, the song really begins with some ugly organ noise (that did make me think of a big, scary insect), and then enters a funky groove, only to be demolished minutes later... and that happens again... and again, when they get into a <em>really</em> cool rhythmic thing, it starts growing, growing, growing and stops.</p>

<p>Luckily for those guys, there is 'Ruckzuck', and I don't hate any of this. I just have to be in the mood for pure, unadultered noise. At least, I have to say they don't seem to be taking this stuff <em>too</em> seriously - very unlike Tangerine Dream, for example. You know, I doubt they were really trying to make "musical sculptures", or whatever Edgar Froese called it. These are more like four "musical" "monsters", and these guys seem to be just having their fun - in a very German Avant-garde way. Yeah, I prefer Faust and early Kraftwerk over Tangerine Dream. But that's me, you know!</p>

<p>Little Robots!</p>

<p>Aw, what's the fun of making jokes only I get... Don't you think Rusty is a really nifty, really cute little robot, though?</p>

<p>Some people say I'm insane.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>9/15</strong></big>  - Um, well, whatever.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>7/15</strong></big>  - Nah. This stuff is just "cool" at most spots, but hardly anything else.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>10/15</strong></big> - Well, I suppose this was unique at the time.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>7/15</strong></big>  - I wouldn't call it "rich" - there's a lot of unusual noise and clever electronic work, though.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>8/15</strong></big>  - Yeah.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/08.png" alt="8" />
</p>

<p>Comments? Ideas? <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Mail me</a>!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="kraftwerk2">Kraftwerk 2 (1972)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Klingklang</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li>Klingklang <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Atem</li>
  <li>Strom</li>
  <li>Spule 4</li>
  <li>Wellenl&auml;nge <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Harmonika</li>
</ol>

<p>Abandoning the wild noise, is it? Yeah, you betcha. And, surprisingly enough, this album already shows a <em>bit</em> of development towards the Kraftwerk of 1974. And why? Because 'Klingklang' damn sounds similar to 'Autobahn', why! Still, this wasn't enough to make Ralf and Florian less ashamed of it, and the album also is available only in bootleg copies. In fact, I believe the band considers <strong>Autobahn</strong> to be their "real" debut album, but I think that's quite unfair.</p>

<p>But like I said, the album takes it easy on the noise. You won't be overwhelmed by scary, ugly sounding stuff here. But that doesn't mean the band stopped using their wicked tape effects and tricks, though! But they did take it easy on the synthesizers! As a result, most of this album is nothing but "real" instruments - though most of them are treated with tape effects and/or devices. The most "synthesized" thing here, I believe, is the Farfisa electric piano and the organ's preset beatbox, both used in the seventeen-minute 'Klingklang'. The first minute-and-a-half of the track is just a collage of all sorts of metallic kling klangs (which roughly translates to Ringing Sounds, but in German, it's a much niftier pun). It's a quite strangely pleasant sound, I should say. But then, they enter a quite gentle, nice rhythm with plinking electric piano, the chucking organ beatbox, and Florian's flute lines played through a groovy echo unit. It's a quite beautiful thing that goes on and on, but for some reason, it speeds up at several spots. Either it was tape manipulation, or this album was recorded on a really crappy turntable, :), but I doubt that. Eventually, it stops dead, and enters a different groove... and then another one... and then it goes. You know, I don't quite <em>get</em> the purpose of those tape tricks. Maybe that's what provides the true "variety" in the song? Instead of writing a complex multipart composition, thet just change the tape speed? Whatever. All I know is that it's quite pleasant (yes, <em>pleasant</em>! It's calm, gentle and musical!), and like I said before, predicts 'Autobahn'. What more could I ask?</p>

<p>The track also sets the overall tone for the rest of the album. It's pretty moody. For example, there's 'Strom', that's built on a simple, looping rhythm for guitar, and building up a huge harmony of several flute layers piled on top of each other. That's a quite good composition! But on the other hand, there's more of those "aimless" things here. 'Spule 4' is just five minutes of guitar and bass sounds. I may be missing something, but to me, this just sounds like a long rehearsal of "let's see what kinds of sounds we can make with this guitar and put it on tape", and doesn't go anywhere. 'Atem', at least, is impressive in a way: it's three minutes of breathing sounds. But don't ask me <em>how</em> they made those breathing sounds: synthesizer? Tape manipulation of some weird object? Or they just recorded their own mouths for three minutes? I don't know, but if they <em>did</em> it with just a synthesizer, I must say I'm a little impressed. Of course, it's <em>JUST</em> the breathing, but you could extract some deeper meaning from that, perhaps? Good for you, 'cause I know I can't...</p>

<p>At the end of side 2, there's 'Wellenl&auml;nge'. It goes for nine minutes, and initially, it's built just with one bass note and lots of bendy, sliding guitar notes. But it does pick up some rhythm, and becomes quite fun. And 'Harmonika' is just harmonica playing, but the tape is slowed down, so the sound is quite eerie and striking. There seems to be some melody in there, and it's quite beautiful, even. So, I dunno. It's still the same empty stuff, without an apparent purpose other than studio experimentation. It would take them a while to make <em>musical compositions</em> with those experiments, but they would manage it eventually. As it is, I rate this one higher than the previous because: 1) the atmosphere is more tangible; 2) it's more pleasant and musical; 3) goto 1.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>10/15</strong></big> - I say... I guess there are more tracks I like here.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>8/15</strong></big>  - There <em>is</em> an atmosphere, so, yeah.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>10/15</strong></big> - It's still original.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>7/15</strong></big>  - Hmm... nah. Not a lot of musical ideas, and even the noises are fewer here. The fun is in how they <em>expand</em> those few ideas, not in the quantity of them.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>10/15</strong></big> - Yeah!... I guess.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/09.png" alt="9" />
</p>

<p>Any comments? <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Mail them to me</a>!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="florian">Ralf Und Florian (1973)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Elektrisches Roulette</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li>Elektrisches Roulette <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Tongebirge <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Kristallo</li>
  <li>Heimatkl&auml;nge <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Tanzmuzik <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Ananas Symphonie</li>
</ol>

<p>Hey, wow! Getting better really fast, eh? Well, at least to me, it looks like it. Perhaps not necessarily <em>better</em>, but certainly more musical. Did I say, in the previous review, they would better start making "musical compositions" out of their experimentation? That's just what happens here, and suddenly, the band releases a really, really nice album.</p>

<p>For one, they seem to finally have abandoned the "aimless noise" in their music. As such, each and every of these six tracks is a full-fledged <em>song</em>. They're also featuring more of their synthesizers (without abandoning the guitars and flute and electric piano), and - see this - one of these tracks features one of the most important, crucial element in Kraftwerk's music from now on. Can you guess what it is? Eh? It's a VOCODER! A bloody goddamn VOCODER! However, it's only used to deliver just a few words in the beginning of 'Ananas Symphonie'. One of them recites the track's title two or three times, and that's it. But, you know, that's the first appearance of a Vocoder in a Kraftwerk album, and, in case you didn't know it, the Vocoder would become practically a <em>singer</em> for Kraftwerk later on.</p>

<p>But that's not too important. The most important thing is to see Kraftwerk's music taking a more synthesized, repetitive, mantraic route. Their work is taking shape, once and for all. And among these tracks, the one that would most resemple a "typical" future Kraftwerk composition is 'Tanzmuzik'. You see, the title means "Dance Music", you know. It features the organ beatbox once again, and even though the plinky piano makes the track sound like it's going to turn into 'Klingklang' at any moment, it's a very good "new" composition. The combination of the synths, the piano, the giddy rhythm and the overall <em>happy</em> atmosphere is a must, and the song makes a really good, gradual development as it goes. They even add some wordless singing in the middle of the track. Unfortunately, at some point, it kinda loses steam - the nifty ideas stop showing up, and the song just starts to drag. But that's not such a heavy blow. To me, the best song is 'Elektrisches Roulette'. It features a really "spinning" synth, and adds some real dynamics with "rollicking" drums, more tinkling piano, and a great little flute theme. It's great.</p>

<p>Oh, it isn't just 'Tanzmuzik' that's such a pivotal song: 'Kristallo' is also an important progress for the band. The base of the track is a boppy synth bass line, and over that, Ralf H&uuml;tter improvises on a synthesizer, using a sound that's exactly the kind of sound that would fit the title of "Crystals". I just wonder what came first: the synth tone, or the song title? Heh heh. Anyway, the song is pretty much that, but it's a very good one. And, since they <em>are</em> Kraftwerk, they play the tape backwards near the end, and then at an insanely fast speed, and then backwards again... and it ends. Good ole tape manipulation, eh? Good stuff.</p>

<p>The really impressive stuff, though, is the slow, atmospheric material. Yeah, who would guess Kraftwerk would be doing stuff like that? I mean, there's 'Tongebirge', and it features a simple synth sound and a <em>huge</em> harmony of echoeing flute lines. You know? The flutes just keep playing, and harmonising with their own echoes, and it goes for three wonderfully pleasant minutes. And then, 'Heimatkl&auml;nge' adds a <em>piano</em> to the brew - not an electronic Farfisa piano, but an <em>acoustic</em> piano. Beautiful! Even the tracks try to be scenic: "Sounds From The Homeland"? "A Mountain of Sounds"? In fact, 'Tongebirge' sounds <em>exactly</em> like "A Mountain of sounds", with the echoed flute lines piling on top of each other. Glorious!</p>

<p>And to complete everything, 'Ananas Symphonie' comes as a thirteen minute proto-Ambient epic. Seriously! If there is proto-Ambient, the Pineapple symphony is definitely it. After the intro with the glorious appearance of the Vocoder, you have a wonderful work of guitar arpeggios gracefully going up and down as the tape speeds up and slows down (at least I <em>suppose</em> it's more tape manipulation - it sounds too smooth to be slide, or something). It's a really pleasant thing. And halfway through, it picks up a rhythm and keeps up the beauty. I wouldn't say it's a <em>fantastic</em> thing, but it's a great achievement for the band, and definitely more pleasant than 'Stratovarius', eh?</p>

<p>What's even more impressive is how well the album <em>works</em>. It may not be smashing, earthshattering or anything, but it's a really pleasant, musical album, and it's great to see that those guys had actual talent for music, so we can't dismiss them as noise-loving hacks. Those guys have <em>it</em>, and they show it here. Very, very good album, a really great contribution to Electronica as a genre, even though Vangelis and the like were already putting out "bigger", "epic" albums. This is no epic, though! It's a great advancement for synthesizer music. I find it unfair that the band neglects this one. I can understand they seeing their two first LPs as "not part of their carreer", but this one? Why? Maybe it's because of the photo on the cover? I dunno, and I'm thankful for whomever made this bootleg available.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>12/15</strong></big> - Oh, yes! Denied a higher rating for some redundant moment, but this ain't no big deal.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>10/15</strong></big>  - Hey, they are truly finding the right buttons! They're getting near!<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>11/15</strong></big> - This is still <em>their</em> stuff.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>12/15</strong></big> - Oh, certainly.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>11/15</strong></big> - You know it, buddy. This is really a 'musical album'.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/11.png" alt="11" />
</p>

<p>Comments? Suggestions? <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Mail me</a>!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="autobahn">Autobahn (1974)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Autobahn</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li><span class="good">Autobahn ++</span></li>
  <li>Kometenmelodie 1 <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Kometenmelodie 2 <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Mitternacht</li>
  <li>Morgenspaziergang</li>
</ol>

<p>Now we are <em>really</em> getting somewhere. They finally did it! Hit it big time! Released an album that actually became famous all over Europe, and even reached the United States! And it was a real deserved success. Ralf and Florian brought two electronic percussionists to the crew, and decided to make some <em>really</em> important, seminal and representative music. It looks like they pulled all stops to their creativity, ceased the shy experimentation, got inside a car, travelled on the German highways to draw some <em>real</em> inspiration for music. And it sure damn worked. If you're not aware, the title track is a twenty-two minute opus devoted to the joys of driving on the Autobahn, and I love it.</p>

<p>Well, firstly, I should say that I <em>love</em> roadtrips, both by bus and by car. So, it's no surprise that I found the "perfect" song to me, since driving + music = Heaven. And at first listen, the song turned out to be <em>completely</em> unlike what I was expecting it to be - but that's just because I was used to their 'latter' period, and this album is closer to their 'earlier' period. But it's a transition, alright. I wouldn't call it a "transitional" album, no I wouldn't. But this is Kraftwerk definitely finding the right way to go, and putting out one mega-song that sums up <em>everything</em> they were good at: sonic landscapes, synth wizardry, combination of electronic and acoustic instruments, and pretty much everything else. Also, the song features <em>lyrics</em> and singing. It's just a few lines, but another important element to their carreer.</p>

<p>The song is built over one main "theme", with a driving bass line, subtle percussion and vast, scenic chords played on a synthesizer that immitates the rumbling of a car engine. The rhythm is gentle, but it <em>moves</em>, just like a stable, fast car. The guys chant "wir fahr'n fahr'n fahr'n auf der autobahn", describe a small scene of their trip, and then, the track goes into one of its "sections": The first one features a pleasant bass line and a <em>beautiful</em> flute theme. The guitar and the flute do their beautiful sounds, backed by the synthesizers, and the overall scenery is just gorgeous. Back to the main theme, we're taken into what's, possibly, the most technically impressive part. The rhythm kicks in with a fury, and the synthesizers blast out noises of car engines driving right past you. It's like a car engine symphony, and overall very impressively performed and executed. They even feature a part symbolising the turning of the dial on the car radio, catching stations and bits of music. And at the end, a new rhythm kicks in, the synths become even more vast and scenic, and we're gracefully led towards a beautiful, subtle climax with more "fahr'n auf der Autobahn" happy singing. Over its course, the song definitely <em>achieves</em> everything it was aiming: the sensation of driving, the atmosphere of the vast landscapes, the dullness of the scenery, the <em>fun</em>, and everything else. Just brilliant.</p>

<p>Side two takes us away from that concept, though. The "centrepiece" of this side is the two part 'Kometenmelodie', featuring two completely opposite interpretations of a very, very simple melodic idea. The first one is slow, dark, awe-inspiring and intimidating, and the second part is bright, joyous and fast. It works wonders, if only because the melody is so dang clever, and the music itself achieves its purposes with perfection. Beautiful! 'Mitternacht' is the combination of a spooky bass line and loud, frightening sound effects. It's all probably synthesized, and very cleverly. It brings back the "noise" of old, but this time, they're trying to really create something, and they danged <em>do it</em>. Finally, 'Morgenspaziergang' starts with some <em>really</em> impressive immitation of birds chirping and running water. All with synths, I suppose? Really good. And then, the piano and the flute reprise one of the best themes from the title track, and finish the album in a <em>very</em> pleasant, happy note.</p>

<p>Overall, it's just impressive to see how <em>happy</em> the album is, and how <em>fun</em> the music turns out to be. I mean, we're definitely talking about really talented musicians here! They hit it big, produced one near-masterpiece of an album, and started their business once and for all. Kraftwerk was there to stay, and it was only for the better.</p>

<p>As a post-scriptum, I should say I <em>really</em> can't see the point of having a 3-minute "pop" edit of the title track, but that's just me.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>14/15</strong></big> - Breathtaking.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>14/15</strong></big> - Maybe an exaggeration here? I dunno, this stuff is inspirational.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Oh, yes, oh yes.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>14/15</strong></big> - There are plenty of ideas here.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>13/15</strong></big> - They're really getting the hang of it.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/13.png" alt="13" />
</p>

<p>Wir <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">maihl'n maihl'n maihl'n</a> auf fer Autobahn...</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="aktivitat">Radio-Aktivit&auml;t (1975)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Radioaktivit&auml;t</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li>Geigerz&auml;hler</li>
  <li><span class="good">Radioaktivit&auml;t ++</span></li>
  <li>Radioland <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>&Auml;therwellen <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Sendepause</li>
  <li>Nachrichten</li>
  <li>Der Stimme Der Energie</li>
  <li>Antenne <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Radio Sterne</li>
  <li>Uran</li>
  <li>Transistor</li>
  <li><span class="good">Ohm Sweet Ohm ++</span></li>
</ol>

<p>Okay, okay, this is - in my opinion - a stepdown from <strong>Autobahn</strong>. But then, that album was already fantastic, and very hard to beat. And nevertheless, this album is <em>yet</em> another important step in Kraftwerk's growth. It's important to notice that this was the first album to be released in two versions: one with the titles in German, and one with the titles in English. But only the titles change: the music and lyrics remain exactly the same, even though there are lyrics in both English and German through the album.</p>

<p>Talk about lyrics: <em>that</em> is the important evolution this album represents. It's the first album to introduce the <em>conceptuality</em> to Kraftwerk's work. And what's the concept here? Well, the title says "Radio-Activity". It means, there's <em>both</em> the theme of radioactivity, and the theme of Radio activity. It's a pun, you know. This band was really fond of puns. However, it's wrong to determine if Kraftwerk is attacking radioactivity, or defending it, or whatever their opinion is. This isn't an opinion: it's just a statement of <em>facts</em>. The lyrics are short, minimalistic, deadpan and direct. There's no poetic pretension, no biting critique... Nothing. The most remarkable thing about the lyrics is the double entendre of the <em>whole</em> album, having two apparently unrelated themes entwined in these twelve tracks.</p>

<p>The main problem of the album is that, at some moments, it values the lyrical themes more than the actual music. But notice that those "lyrical themes" are, many times, not expressed by lyrics. The album is chock full of vignettes and instrumental passages like, for example, the album's introduction, 'Geigerz&auml;hler'. It's nothing but the clicking noises of a Geiger counter increasing in speed and progressively leading into the title track. You know, it's <em>nothing but</em> that, but only when you listen to the CD. Do you know what's the really genius trick of <em>this</em> track? It transforms the stylus into a Geiger counter, because it counts faster as it gets closer and closer to 'Radioactivity'! Magnificent! Halfway through the album, the music is interrupted by a twenty second intermission ('Sendepause'), formed by sparse little pinging synthy melodies. I suppose this was something common in radio broadcasts at that time? I dunno, I have no idea. When the intermission ends, we have several newscasts ('Nachrichten') about the German nuclear program being read, and I believe that's the only moment in the album where <em>both</em> themes are being referred to. The Vocoder makes a rockin' return in 'Der Stimme Der Energie', that's just a German text being read for less than one minute, and 'Uran', with the Vocoder speaking once again over a spase synth background.</p>

<p>You know, those things aren't any musical, but are still <em>entertaining</em> to some extent. It's clear that Kraftwerk wasn't being totally serious with this stuff. They had sense of humour, and it shows many times here. The only spot that becomes grating is 'Radio Sterne', where a very annoying upwards "bwoooop" synth sound is repeated <em>all the way through three minutes and a half</em>, with some weird voices over it. But aside from that, it's quite amusing to listen to these tracks - they <em>form</em> something bigger, you know.</p>

<p>But behold! There's <em>music</em> in here too! And this album also represents a big stepforward for the band musically. This is the first album to feature the Vako Orchestron, which produces sounds like choirs and strings (though it sounds strangely similar to a Mellotron - isn't it frustrating how Kraftwerk never played a Mellotron in their albums?), and it helps to give a very big sound to some of these tracks. The title track is the greatest example: a really beautiful 6-minute anthem devoted to Radioactivity (in both German and English), with a catchy melody for synth and voice, Morse code messages and everything else. 'Radioland' is very slow, having an almost lullabyish melody being sung, alternating with various noises and sounds produced by a radio, and '&Auml;therwellen' is the most upbeat here. The melody is really catchy, and the upbeat rhythm brings good memories of 'Autobahn' back. 'Antenne' is the song that brings a somewhat 'poppy' tune, with H&uuml;tter's vocals echoeing and bouncing all around. This is yet another example of short, mantraic lyrics that do manage to <em>state</em> something, without giving any clear opinion.</p>

<p>The album ends with a short synth ditty called 'Transistor', and with possibly the funniest thing here: 'Ohm Sweet Ohm'. The title track is sung like a mantra by a Vocoder right in the beginning, and it definitely sounds like a radio meditating: "Ohhhhhhhmmmmmmmm, sweet ohhhhhhhhmmmmmmm. Ohhhhhhhmmmmmm, sweet ohhhhhhmmmmmmm." Come on, you <em>know</em> how clever that is. And the song after that is a beautiful synth anthem with a really nifty melody, and it grows gently into a climax of sorts. Really great!</p>

<p>I have no problem giving this a relatively high rating, even though it's lower than <strong>Autobahn</strong>. For some people, this album may be a really big frustration, though: they were doing such fascinating, awesome music, and then they turn into this bunch of loose jingles and vignettes, and put the music aside? Yeah, I know <em>that</em> isn't exactly great, but the album itself is still entertaining, and I like it. Even if you dislike the album, you have to dig 'Ohm Sweet Ohm', though!</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>12/15</strong></big> - Yeah, I say.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>11/15</strong></big> - Hey, it is quite funny at spots, and almost always interesting.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>13/15</strong></big> - Yeah, yeah.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>11/15</strong></big> - Hmm... some very good musical ideas, and lots of stuff inbetween.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>12/15</strong></big> - It all fits together very well.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/12.png" alt="12" />
</p>

<p>Comments? Ideas? <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Send me your mail</a>!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="express" class="best">Trans-Europe Express (1977)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Europe Endless</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li><span class="good">Europe Endless ++</span></li>
  <li><span class="good">The Hall Of Mirrors ++</span></li>
  <li>Showroom Dummies <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li><span class="good">Trans-Europe Express ++</span></li>
  <li>Metal On Metal <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Franz Schubert <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li><span class="good">Endless Endless ++</span></li>
</ol>

<p>And this is where I let go the German names and jump into the English speaking bandwagon, but this is only because I own this album, as well as their two next releases, in their English versions. And unlike <strong>Radio-Aktivit&auml;t</strong> before it, it isn't only the song titles that are different in the English release - the song lyrics are all different! That's not such a heavy blow, though - the music is still the same, and the music is awesome. Once again, this album is a very important step in the band's advancement, and definitely one of the most important ones. This is where the band discovers how fond they are of static, electronic rhythms, long song structures, synth riffs and all the "mechanic" sound of their music.</p>

<p>The album isn't exactly a concept one, but a couple of tracks here share the theme of the Trans-Europe Express, travelling by train, the immensity of Europe, and you know the rest. These compositions are all pretty long, and the sound in each of them is pretty much the same all the way through. And you just <em>know</em> what these long, uninterrupted electronic pumping grooves would originate, don't you? This is Synth-pop being born! But you can't call this album Synth-pop, no sirree. Firstly, not <em>all</em> the tracks have that interminable "plop plop tchack, plop plop tchack", and they aren't mere aimless electronic grooves. This is <em>Kraftwerk</em>, valuing unforgettable riffs and synthesized atmospheres, ambiguous lyrical topics and minimalistic singing. This is, roughly speaking, <strong>Radio-Aktivit&auml;t</strong> with longer songs, beatier rhythms, and none of those short vignettes and all. And all the songs are great! All of them, you know! Each one memorable, catchy, exciting and <em>long</em>!</p>

<p>Notice that the length may be a severe problem to some people. I know it was to me, in the first times I listened to the album. The songs never change, and after 6 minutes of the same thing, you start wishing the song would end already so you can hear the next one. But you just have to get over it, and enjoy the songs while they last. You'll notice that the songs <em>have</em> a slow, subtle, but important evolution. You know, honestly, maybe there is <em>no</em> evolution at all... and actually, the song structures are pretty frustrating too. They all go more-or-less like this: a gradual, long intro; a <em>very</em> short verse; a chorus; a memorable synth riff; another <em>very</em> short verse; a chorus; a memorable synth riff; maybe one or two more verse/chorus/memorable-synth-riff; a long instrumental break; another <em>very</em> short verse; and so on. You know, you'll just have to take the songs as they come. And I know that I would be a real moron to say "they should have made these songs shorter and included more of them!" or something, so I'll just be honest and say I <em>really</em> like the songs as they are. It's all about atmosphere and that stuff, and besides, the band was just <em>discovering</em> the power of long, repetitive grooves, and you couldn't put such limitations to their creativity. With albums like this, it's better to have the overlong songs, than having short songs that don't reach their goals.</p>

<p>The centrepiece of the album would be the combo of tracks 4 and 5. The title track begins with a chucking synth percussion that <em>obviously</em> immitates the sound of a train, and kicks off with a very peculiar syncopated rhythm that never ceases. On top of that, all sorts of cool things appear: a <em>very</em> clever "ascending" synth riff, another clever, ominous riff (that appears several times in the album), mantraic "Trans... Europe... Express" chanting, evocative lines about travelling all over Europe by train and meeting Iggy Pop and David Bowie... And you'll just learn to dig it once you get into the rhythm and start imagining trains, stations, landscapes of Europe and such. That is the point! After the track ends, you're taken into track 5, 'Metal On Metal'. The English version is indexed incorrectly, though, since 'Metal On Metal' is just the first two minutes or so, and the rest is a complete recapitulation of the title track that, on the German release, goes under the track 'Aubzig'. But whatever. 'Metal On Metal' is just what the title suggests: a repetitive rhythm created by big metallic sounds, and it just leads back in to the "Trans... Europe... Express" chanting with all those synth riffs for four more minutes. Overkill? Maybe...</p>

<p>Say what, that composition may be the ultimate test to see how much you like this band: if you enjoy it from start to finish, you're pretty much a Kraftwerk fan. If you like it, but wish it were shorter, you may not enjoy their albums to the fullest, but you may enjoy them still. If you can't stand it, well, move along and go listen to The Minutemen. I, personally, love the song, but I like 'Europe Endless' even more. This time, the fiendish syncopated rhythm is replaced by a friendlier 4/4 beat, and there's a <em>very</em> pleasant synth pinging and echoeing forming nice little harmonies all over. Overall, the atmosphere created by the synthesizers, the little riffs, the singing and the Vocoder is <em>very</em> beautiful, and it could go on for 20 minutes and I wouldn't mind. It's joyful, optimistic, and quite a contrast to the urban, manic chucking of 'TEE'. 'Showroom Dummies' is as close to a Pop composition as this album ever gets. The synth riff is as catchy as anything, and the lyrics and quite funny in an eccentric way. What is that? Showroom dummies gaining life and going into a club to dance? Heh heh. The interminable rhythm may get grating towards the end, so you'll have to get distracted by the synth riff, or something. 'The Hall Of Mirrors', however, is excellently hypnotic. A psychotic riff keeps ascending on that evil chromatic scale while a dark, ominous rhythm reverberates past you, and you get that stinging synth, the creepy lines about mirrors and such, and the unfortettable "Even the greatest staaaars..." chorus. Very cool, very cool.</p>

<p>The nice thing is that the album ends in a mellow note with 'Franz Schubert', with a friendly variation on the 'Europe Endless' synth pattern, but instead of the drum beat, you get the beautiful sounds of the Vako Orchestron playing variations on the album's themes. And even the one-minute album closer, 'Endless Endless', is gloriously symbolic and beautiful, with the Vocoder whispering "Endless" around and around, creating the full cycle. Well, I know I love the album, anyway, even though I'm not a fan of Synth-pop in general, or even those fast, manic rhythms. But this isn't an album for dancing, really, and the rhythms are just part of the entire experience. I can't explain it in detail, but if I could, what would be the fun in music? You wouldn't need to listen to albums - just reading reviews would be enough. So, just get the album and see for yourself.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>15/15</strong></big> - Hooray!<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>15/15</strong></big> - For once, nearly <em>everything</em> here is evocative.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>15/15</strong></big> - Hmm, should this really be a 15? I dunno, but Kraftwerk was really creating something here.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>15/15</strong></big> - Yes! Yes! The synth riffs are everywhere!<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>15/15</strong></big> - Darned great for a "semi-conceptual" album. They do it better than the Moody Blues!
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/15.png" alt="15" />
</p>

<p>Even the greatest stars... <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">send their mail</a> in the looking glass...</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="machine">The Man Machine (1978)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>The Robots</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li><span class="good">The Robots ++</span></li>
  <li>Spacelab <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Metropolis <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>The Model <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li><span class="good">Neon Lights ++</span></li>
  <li>The Man Machine <span class="good">+</span></li>
</ol>

<p>This was the time when Kraftwerk just wouldn't stop churning out great stuff. And <em>this</em> is the album that eternalised Kraftwerk's image, you know, the way Kraftwerk are to this very day. <em>This</em> was the album that defined, once and for all, their "robotic" schtick. The album sleeve makes them look all the same, the whole album talks about the robotization of humans, they started doing their shows in that "robotic" manner... you know the rest. And <em>this</em> is where it all appeared. To be concise, the evolution of Kraftwerk was done.</p>

<p>However, the evolution of their music was still going strong, and wouldn't stop too soon. Even though this <em>is</em> a natural (or should I say, "artificial"? Being "Robots" and all?) extension of <strong>Trans-Europe Express</strong>, the two albums are not really similar in essence. Here, the songs have been shortened and sharpened. This isn't all about building atmospheres and landscapes: this is all about delivering a <em>message</em> across, both in the sparse lyrics and in the music. This is a full-fledged concept album, with <em>all</em> songs revolving around the same topic. It's a reflection on the future of humans and machines. Will humans get closer and closer to machines until they become on? Will humans eliminate individuality in the name of efficiency? Will humans finally dominate machines to their own good? It's a pretty sci-fi album, you see, but the message is more philosophic than you may imagine. And it's no surprise that, in this album, the <em>band</em> was already becoming one with their own computers. Roughly speaking, the music is all about synthetic sounds now. There are a few "human" voices, but even the Vocoder is gaining more importance than H&uuml;tter's natural voice, and even the Vako Orchestron, with its glorious strings and choirs, has been cast aside.</p>

<p>And the songs? <em>Those</em> are the real goodies! The "sonic exploration" and "landscape building" has been replaced by solid, concise song writing, and this is only for the better. For one, the album yelded two big hits for the band. The first of them is the album opener, 'The Robots', easily one of the band's cleverest songs ever. The synth riffs never stop coming, and they're all short, simple, and <em>meaningful</em>. The Vocoder makes its rockin' return as the voice of the "robots", and the final result is great. For the first time, a song with such a simple "pop" structure becomes a Kraftwerk <em>classic</em> in all respects, and also a crucial song for the concept of the album. That's the case with the second hit here, 'The Model'. And this is an actual pop tune, even more than 'The Robots', and a <em>really</em> good one. The theme of the song may sound a little unrelated with the album's theme, but it isn't at all. Overall, it was just a genius move to insert such an accessible, catchy tune in the middle of the album: it fits perfectly, <em>and</em> became a hit single!</p>

<p>The hit singles pretty much end there, but the great songs didn't stop coming yet. Side A of the album forms a most interesting suite, drawing an overall picture of what life would look like in the future. 'Spacelab' is instrumental, but the space-like atmosphere of the song already makes it worthwhile. Yet, it's that mysterious, awe-inspiring melody that truly completes the scene. The song isn't at all "gloomy", or menacing, but the next track surely is: 'Metropolis'. Again, all instrumental, with just the title of the track repeated now and then. The melody is everything, but all the sounds, the rhythms and the synth effects draw the image of a lifeless, mechanic city inhabited by the "Robots".</p>

<p>The biggest surprise of the album comes on side B, though: 'Neon Lights', and from the very beginning, the major chords will be a complete shock. For some reason, this is a beautiful, awe-inspiring vision of a city "made of lights". It might sound inadequate in theory, but in practice, it doesn't - if only for another great melody, and a <em>beautiful</em> extended finale with synthesizers building up a gorgeous vision of lights everywhere, and you know the rest. The title track, however, is the most frightening track here. The words sung by the Vocoder definitely sound like a scary mantra to these ears: "The man machine, super human being". They <em>do</em> make it sound like a fearsome thing, what with all those percussion effects, the synth riff and the vocals ascending and ascending, repeating those words. Wow.</p>

<p>Most people may want to start their Kraftwerk journey with this album, and that may be a good idea - there isn't the "very long song" overkill of <strong>Trans-Europe Express</strong>, the sound is <em>very</em> characteristic, and this is probably their most 'accomplished' concept album ever. It's a great one, indeed. Not my favourite, but still a great one.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>14/15</strong></big> - It's a wicked kind of fun, really, but it is there.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>13/15</strong></big> - These are all <em>images</em> instead of <em>feelings</em>, but what images they are!<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>13/15</strong></big> - I don't <em>think</em> there are many ideas here that weren't already present in the previous LP, but the concept is executed in a very original way.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>14/15</strong></big> - Yep, there it is! The goodies never stop coming!<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>14/15</strong></big> - No more "semi-conceptual" crap. This is the <em>real</em> stuff.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/13.png" alt="13" />
</p>

<p><a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">The Mail Machine</a>, super reviewer being.</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="world">Computer World (1980)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Pocket Calculator</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li><span class="good">Computer World ++</span></li>
  <li><span class="good">Pocket Calculator ++</span></li>
  <li>Numbers <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Computer World 2 <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li><span class="good">Computer Love ++</span></li>
  <li>Home Computer <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>It's More Fun To Compute</li>
</ol>

<p>Oh, boy, <em>oh, boy</em>. God knows what nostalgia comes to my heart when I look at the computer sleeve. I never had a computer like <em>that</em> one (after all, by 1980, I was just another soul in God's huge Soul Assembly Line waiting to be born), but I did have a good ole MSX, which I plugged into our TV set to play Antarctic Adventure, The Castle (and its sequel, The Castle Excellent), Knightmare, King's Valley, Thing Bounces Back, Venom Strikes Back, Bosconian, Astro Marine Corps, Lode Runner, and a fun racing game where you viewed your red car from the top and had to race through five different terrains... Road Fighter, or something like that. Ooh, good times those were! This was around 1990, I think... Ten years after this album was released. Why am I even rambling like that, anyway? Am I Grampa Simpson or what?</p>

<p>Yeah, but I'm one of those "in those good old times" kind of guys, even if I'm only 19. Besides, my MSX is one of my very few <em>good</em> childhood memories, because all others are bad ones. You know school, dontcha? I hated that. My classmates hated me, I hated them. I was a good student, but school was my own hell, you know? Nobody understood me, all that talk. For some time, I believed that was a really complicated case. I was a gifted kid, as psychologists told me and my mother, and I <em>did</em> have quite a bright mind back then. Also, I skipped the first year of school (the year that focuses <em>mainly</em> in teaching children to read and write), so I was always one year ahead of everyone else. That seemed to bug my classmates, and that's why they hated me. But I was wrong. That's not the real answer. This is what my family made me believe, to try and make me feel better about myself. The truth is: I was a <em>REALLY FUCKING ANNOYING</em> kid, and I deserved all the pranks and fights I got involved with. Proof of that is that kid who was basically the nucleus of the "bothersome" kids in the class. In a certain year, we were still constantly picking at each other, but we only became moderately friendly when we discovered one thing in common between us: <em>we loved computer games</em>. You know? I could have been his friend <em>right since the beginning</em>, but I didn't want to. And once we found out we loved playing Civilization and Transport Tycoon all day long, we became pals! What a bummer, isn't it? Now, I'm 19, and I recognise what a stupid little idiot I was back then, and you know what? It makes me feel <em>very</em> good. If someone asked me if I wanted to go back to my childhood, I would say <em>NO</em>, I don't. My childhood was a <em>terrible</em> thing, even if I have incredibly fond memories from that time. You know, when you're looking at your past through the foggy window of nostalgia, you only see good things, dontcha? I get those feelings often. But no, I'd never want to be a kid again. It's much better being a kid when you're old! So, I can work, earn money, do things by myself and beat off in my bedroom, but <em>at the same time</em>, I can have fun with Bob the Builder, the Wiggles and Thomas the Tank Engine! Ha ha. I love being a kid, but I'm also very proud of being old and sensible now... even though I do miss my poor old MSX and all its games, and I often download emulators to play those great games again. That's nostalgia, man!</p>

<p>And that brings me back to the first paragraph, and the main topic of this review: <strong>Computer World</strong>! We both should be aware, though, that the album has <em>nothing</em> to do with games. It focuses entirely in the impact computers would have in the society - not only Home Computers, but also Pocket Calculators and all. And you know what? Even if this album doesn't make actual <em>predictions</em> on what exactly computers would become, the album is dang accurate, even 15 years after its release! What kind of band would make, in 1980, an album about such an "epochal" album that wouldn't become dated in 15 years? A very intelligent band, I say! And that's the strength of Kraftwerk's minimal lyrics. They talk little, and say a lot. If only more songwriters would take Kraftwerk lessons more often... Ahh. Well, again, this album is largely instrumental, and the lyrics are reduced to just a few lines and words. I have the English version, like I noted before, and the biggest bummer about that is that the title track loses <em>two full verses</em> of lyrics. You know what? I think they merely took the first verse of the <em>German</em> version (since it didn't sound particularly <em>German</em>, but just listen to the way H&uuml;tter sings "Scotland Yard") and pasted it on top of the two remaining verses. The rest of the lyrics is just a Speak &amp; Spell software saying "business, numbers, money, people etc.", and a Vocoder chanting "Computer Wooooorld", so all they had to do was replace the "Computerwelt" with "Computer World", but I think it's a real bummer the verses were neglected like that.</p>

<p>But that's not <em>too</em> important. I didn't even talk about the music yet! You see, they are still relying entirely on synthesizers, and pushing their musical values forwards. The most interesting thing about this album is that it introduces an element that, oddly enough, was largely missing in their previous LP's: <em>syncopation</em>. It may not sound like it, but almost all songs in <strong>The Man Machine</strong> and <strong>Trans-Europe Express</strong> were perfectly straight 4/4 rhythms. But these aren't! They're funky, irregular, and... <em>dancier</em>! Not that I would go out dancing all over my bedroom in underwear to the sounds of 'Home Computer', but before I notice, my shoulders are already moving to the rhythm. These rhythms become really addictive, you know! That's because the <em>music</em> is so brilliant. To start off, I'll say that Side A is downright <em>perfect</em>. You heard it: <em>perfect</em>. Not a single second sounds out of place here. The title track, even with the few lyrics, presents a great verse melody, and a striking four note riff to the brew. It's a combination of two extremelly short, simple things, but nothing more is necessary... except, of course, for that funky, jerky, bouncy rhythm.</p>

<p>The next song, however, is even more brilliant, and in my opinion, one of the <em>best</em> Kraftwerk tracks of all time. 'Pocket Calculator' relies mainly in one catchy synth riff, but it's the spoken words that definitely <em>make</em> the song. The lyrics may sound downright silly, but there's no doubt in my mind that it's a biting critique. H&uuml;tter says "I'm the operator with my pocket calculator!" Nifty rhyme, but do you notice what he's really saying? He becomes an operator simply because he has one lousy <em>pocket calculator</em>. Operator of <em>what</em>, exactly? There's no answer until he says "I am adding, I'm subtracting, I'm controlling, I'm <em>composing</em>", and someone else completes "By pressing down a special key, it plays a little melody". Well, there is the answer! They are saying that, by then, you could make music just by having one stupid pocket calculator. This may not be <em>100%</em> true, but it's a DAMN accurate prediction: that's pretty much what a bunch of hacks started doing then! They'd buy a cheap synthesizer and start making lousy "electronic" music that would attract millions! Of course, I may be making this whole thing up, but it's clear as day in my mind. And the song itself never ceases being intoxicating and hilarious, with those bleepity bleepity bloop sounds all over.</p>

<p>'Numbers' introduces a weird, funky rhythm, and there's no real melody at all: just a bunch of electronic percussion and dissonant, weird synth effects. But the real deal here is the small "symphony" creating with the several Speak &amp; Spell programs counting numbers in several different languages. The result is quite unbelievable. And the side ends with a reprise of 'Computer World', completing the cycle. You know, it may not sound too exciting in theory, but... this is Kraftwerk, man. You have to listen to make up your decisions. I already stated my opinion that this side is <em>perfect</em>, so there. Side two has 'Home Computer', and while it's not <em>particularly</em> impressive, it has a cool, ominous atmosphere, another great synth riff, and awesome passages with wild percussion effects and patterns playing against each other. The lyrics are extremely simple, once again: "I'll program my home computer, beam myself into the future" - a simple, brilliant translation of the feeling of the epoch, and that still lasted for a long time. I remember that, in Brazil, computers have been a "thing of the future" up to 1998, or something. Then, it kinda became commonplace, but buying a personal computer is <em>still</em> beaming oneself into the future, as the band said back then. 'It's More Fun To Compute' is just a four minute musing on a variation of 'Home Computer', and the title derives from the slogans in old Pinball machines, "It's More Fun To Compete". Yeah, the first and only reference to games, so there. But the real gem of this side is 'Computer Love'. Not only the title is <em>brilliant</em> (and it doesn't make it sure whether it refers to loving the <em>computer</em>, or loving someone <em>through</em> the computer, which makes it twice as brilliant), but the music is really, really beautiful, with another glorious extended finale.</p>

<p>Yep, another masterpiece, and for some time, I was still wondering whether <em>this</em> one should get the perfect rating. But in the end, I decided against it, mostly because... This album is too short! Less than thirty-five minutes! And after all, the <em>fourty-two</em> minutes of <strong>Trans-Europe Express</strong> goodies beat the thirty-four minutes of <strong>Computer World</strong> goodies. Well, it's not <em>all</em> because of that. This album isn't as gorgeously emotionally resonant as <strong>Trans-Europa Express</strong>, so there. But this album IS a masterpiece, so don't be afraid to get it. Maybe this can be as good an introduction to Kraftwerk as <strong>The Man Machine</strong> supposedly is, since it's a much more fun, light album. If you want to have fun with Kraftwerk, do not miss this one.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>15/10</strong></big> - Yes!!<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>14/15</strong></big> - Again, it's a more brainy thing. Real computer geeks would want to give this a 15, though...<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>14/15</strong></big> - Original... <em>and</em> timeless!... Well, it has been timeless for 15 years now.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>15/15</strong></big> - The goodies <em>never</em> stop coming, really.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>15/15</strong></big> - Solid as thing, this is.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/14.png" alt="14" />
</p>

<p>What kind of pun could I make here? "<a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Computer Mail</a>"? Heh, just <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">mail me your comments</a>.</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="cafe">Electric Cafe (1986)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>The Telephone Call</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li>Boing Boom Tschak</li>
  <li>Techno Pop</li>
  <li>Musique Non Stop <span class="bad">&times;</span></li>
  <li>The Telephone Call <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Sex Object</li>
  <li>Electric Cafe</li>
</ol>

<p>Well, here is where the Kraftwerk evolution kinda came to a screeching halt. At least, I have to forgive them on <em>one</em> point: the album came out too late. Let me explain: after finishing the masterpiece <strong>Computer World</strong>, the band started working on an album initially titled "Techno Pop". They had recorded the combo of 'Boing Boom Tschak', 'Techno Pop' and 'Musique Non Stop', as well as a song called 'Tour De France', which was released as a single. However, Ralf H&uuml;tter suffered a serious biking accident, which halted the recording of the album for almost a year. When they got back together, they started to completely redo the finished tracks with digital equipment, and the uncertainty of the band delayed the album's completion and release until 1986.</p>

<p>So, well, this album is a kind of a landmark for being the first album by the band done with digital equipment, so that <em>is</em> another step in their evolution - but only in their technologic evolution. Their <em>creative</em> evolution? Well, truth is, this album just doesn't present anything terribly new to the public. Maybe if it <em>had</em> been released back in 1983, or so, it would have been more innovative, but in <em>1986</em>, this already sounds like an immitation of what hundreds of other "electronic" artists were already doing. And the even sadder thing is that these very "electronic" artists were just immitating Kraftwerk's previous masterpieces, and that's just an example of the endless cycle of borrowing and copying that "electronic" music is. Of course, I'm not including the <em>real</em> electronic <em>artists</em>, who are constantly innovating. I'm just mentioning the hacks who produce mindless, braindead tracks for dancing clubs and such.</p>

<p>But that's not the only weakness of the album. Here, they abandoned the <em>conceptuality</em> that made albums like <strong>The Man Machine</strong> so cool and interesting. To give you a very rough idea: if you took the most upbeat, dancier tracks of that album, eliminated the philosophic thematics and the interesting sonic effects, leaving just the skeleton of the tracks running on auto-pilot, you'll have an album similar to this one, but better. I'm not saying that the thematics of the Kraftwerk albums were their strongest point, though: it just gave the songs a <em>reason</em> to exist, to be there, and gave the electronic rhythms, the riffs and melodies a much bigger edge. You know, if you took - say, 'Computer World', or 'Spacelab', left only the musical backbone and wiped out the lyrics and vocals, you'd have two really great, memorable tunes. But when they <em>have</em> the words and singing, they are given a much bigger <em>meaning</em>, and when included in the context of their respective albums, they turn into links of a much stronger chain of awesome music.</p>

<p>That just doesn't happen here. For one, side A of the album is formed by the trio of tracks 'Boing Boom Tschak', 'Techno Pop' and 'Musique Non Stop'. Albeit being more or less independent tracks, they're supposed to be taken as a 16-minute dance pop suite. And I just don't wish to listen to it again. You know, the plodding, nagging rhythm just never goes away, and these three tracks end up sounding like exercises in being obnoxious and bothersome. The first one begins like it's going to be really cool and interesting, with a weird, sampled voice monotonously reciting the song title. And when you think it's going to be a <em>really</em> cool experiment with vocal sounds, the electronic drums kick in, and the four musicians just keep repeating the vocal loop, eventually applying those sampling effects that millions of other electronic tunes would use, you know: "Boing, boom tschak B-b-b-bo-b-b-b-bo-b-b-boing, boom tschak (b-b-boom b-b-boom) (repeat ad nauseum)". It just goes and goes, presenting only variations on that theme. Yeah, there's a tinkly synth "riff" in there, but it's almost unrecognisable and uncatchy. 'Techno Pop' kicks in, introduces a more solid, but plainly <em>lame</em> synth stringy riff, and Ralf just keeps talking about electronic rhythms, synthetic decibels, musical ideas never ceasing to come, and such (I own this album in its German release, by the way, but I could recognise the lyrics because Ralf sings in <em>spanish</em> halfway through the track). Other than that, it's just percussion samples, voices saying "music non stop, techno pop", the "riff" popping up here and there, and variations on that for seven minutes straight. But 'Musique Non Stop' wins the "Most Obnoxious Kraftwerk Song Ever" award, beating even those early Kraftwerk tracks the band rejects. The rhythm is a bit more lively and punchy this time around (albeit slow and plodding), but there are those sick "riffs" made with vocal samples, a static female voice saying "music non stop", and a <em>veeeeeery</em> annoying computer with a frog in its throat saying... well, "music non stop". And that's that. For six minutes. Egads, I can't stand this track.</p>

<p>But it's even more annoying that, when the track ends, I look back at what I listened and I get <em>no</em> impression from it, overall. Sixteen minutes of slow, plodding electronic beats and sounds with no ambition, no purpose, no aims and no goals, looking like just another drop in an ocean of faceless synth-pop. And the sad irony of that is how downright <em>utopic</em> the lyrics of 'Techno Pop' sound when included in <em>this</em> genre. You know how it goes, dontcha? When one fellow discovers one new trick to play on his "music", <em>every</em> other artist immediately copies it and uses in <em>every</em> subsequent "song" it makes, until the trick is so overused it becomes nauseating just to <em>think</em> of it. And there are even examples in <em>this</em> album: just look at the vocal-affecting tricks on 'Boing Boom Tschak', and the static voices in 'Musique Non Stop'. It's always like this, and I won't even talk about that <em>GODAWFULLY OBNOXIOUS</em> pitch-twisting trick they used on Cher's tune 'Believe', and that Madonna copied for every other song she ever wrote.</p>

<p>It's sad, I know. It was the band's attempt to get a little more "mainstream", but fate didn't have mercy with them: the album sold poorly, and I can't even say that's unfair. The band <em>was</em> trying to be innovative, but they just didn't sound interesting, entertaining and/or <em>fun</em>. If you want some proof, it is right on the beginning of side B: 'The Telephone Call' is the coolest (also longest) song on here, and it <em>is</em> interesting, entertaining <em>and</em> fun. For one, the rhythm is fast and bouncy, and there are <em>lots</em> of telephone sounds and effects spread on the track. It's just so fun to "watch" those telephones dialing, calling, and the voices saying the calls couldn't be completed, and all. The other thing is that Karl Bartos supplies the lead vocals, for the first time in a Kraftwerk song! Yup, this is a great one.</p>

<p>But then, the dullness kicks back in. 'Sex Object' kicks off with a cool, orchestrated (!) riff... but it kinda stops there. After that, it's just the rhythm, static voices, some verses sung by Ralf, and the riff again and again and again, for almost seven minutes. The title track is more interesting, though. The recurring voices saying "Electric Cafe..." all the time become really annoying, but everything else is quite cool. Actually, I'd like it more if the synth riff didn't sound so derivative from 'Trans-Europe Express'... Come to think of it, I think it's even a reprise of the 'Boing Boom Tschak' riff, but the riff in that song was so unrecognisable and forgettable, I may be wrong.</p>

<p>In the end, I can only salvage 'The Telephone Call', but the song is so good, it gives quite a boost to the album's rating. Still, I'll be perfectly, absolutely sincere when I say I find the early Kraftwerk LP's more interesting than this one. Yeah, the songs there are more cacophonic and maybe even more aimless, but they don't become redundant and uninteresting after 30 seconds. Plus, the noises, screeches and scratches are far less ear-destructive and nauseating than "music non stop... music non stop... music non stop... music non stop..."</p>

<p>By the way, you may have noticed that the 'Tour De France' single, originally intended for the album, wasn't featured here. It would be used 17 years later, though, in <strong>Tour De France Soundtracks</strong> (see below).</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>8/15</strong></big>  - 'The Telephone Call' and 'Electric Cafe' <em>are</em> fun, but the rest?<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>6/15</strong></big>  - Yurgh. All the digital equipment may be cool, but they definitely don't produce a touching, memorable sound here!<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>7/15</strong></big>  - You have the Famous Kraftwerk Trick now and then, but they are the only things that will remind you this <em>is</em> a Kraftwerk LP.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>8/15</strong></big>  - Hmm... Okay, I'll be generous, if only for 'The Telephone Call'.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>6/15</strong></big>  - Not that it matters <em>much</em>, of course.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/07.png" alt="7" />
</p>

<p><a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Mail me your comments</a>, fast!</p>

<hr />

<h2 id="soundtracks">Tour De France Soundtracks (2003)</h2>
<p class="medium">
  Best song: <big>Tour The France</big>
</p>
<div class="medium">
  Track list:
</div>
<ol class="trackList">
  <li>Prologue</li>
  <li>Tour De France - &Eacute;tape 1</li>
  <li>Tour De France - &Eacute;tape 2</li>
  <li>Tour De France - &Eacute;tape 3</li>
  <li>Chrono</li>
  <li>Vitamin <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Aero Dynamik <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Titanium <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>Elektro Kardiogramm <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>La Forme <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li>R&eacute;g&eacute;neration <span class="good">+</span></li>
  <li><span class="good">Tour De France ++</span></li>
</ol>

<p>Twelve years. Yes, that's right: Twelve years without a new Kraftwerk album in sight (remember <strong>The Mix</strong>, from 1991), and <em>seventeen</em> years without a Kraftwerk album of new material. But in 2003, they kicked back with a vengeance... Well, not quite. See, this album was released in celebration of the 100 years of the famous Tour De France, but they missed the deadline and the album wasn't released in time! Oh, well. As you might have guessed, the album kind of picked up from where the 'Tour De France' single left back in the early eighties. Since <strong>Electric Cafe</strong> went without it, they made this one, and it's all fine.</p>

<p>You see, I didn't meet very favourable views on this album, and considering how little I liked <strong>Electric Cafe</strong>, I wasn't expecting much from this album. After all, it's <em>2003</em>. The world was ridden and infested with crap techno music from everywhere (thanks, in part, to Kraftwerk themselves). It's been more than 20 years since Kraftwerk were an revolutionary, innovative band. Would they be <em>relevant</em> anymore? I didn't think so, and I listened to the album. Well, imagine my face when I found myself confronted with the plop-plop beats of a generic techno track with "spacey", syncopated synth chords and everything.</p>

<p>Oh, yes: after the thirty second 'Prologue' (consisted of four very spacey synth chords), you're taken in to the 16 minute Interminable Plop-Plop Techno Suite that goes from tracks 2 to 5. It's understandable that Kraftwerk wanted to create the fast, rushed pace of a bicycle race, it's all fine. But... you know, the synchopated synths, synth line, the odd, dissonant organ chops are... kinda generic. And there's a voice reciting loose words that sounds like a software voice synthesizer running with the preset "Frog in my throat". It's not bad, though! You know, it's only <em>natural</em> that Kraftwerk would have to adopt the plop-plop rhythm <em>eventually</em>, and so they did. And they put it to good use: I imagine a bicycle race having that constant pace. &Eacute;tape 2 has different themes than &Eacute;tape 1, and is the longer of the bunch, but &Eacute;tape 3 is mostly a recapitulation of the first. At one point, it introduces a quite interesting little melody, but it never shows up again. And then 'Chrono' (even though the title breaks away from the Tour De France thematics) is just a continuation of the suite - only it introduces some weird, rhythmic synth sounds halfway through.</p>

<p>And then, the Interminable Plop-Plop Techno Suite ends. And - look at this - <em>there's no more plop-plop techno</em> in the album! It's not that I <em>dislike</em> that rhythm - I'm just tired of it. By the time 'Chrono' ends, I'm just willing to hear something different... and that's what they bring! It was a real surprise: these other tracks are pretty much updates of the good ole' Kraftwerk sound. I'm not accusing them of ripping themselves off, not at all. It's quite impressive that those rhythms more than 20 years old can still sound good after all that time. The synth tones have been updated, of course. I'd just like to know how long these synth tones will last before they start to date... As far as synth tones go, very little of their work is "dated" - maybe bits of <strong>Trans-Europe Express</strong>. It will be a good thing to see if, in 10, or 15, years, this stuff will date or not. I do hope not!</p>

<p>But yes, the sound changes after the fifth track. 'Vitamin' is a long song with a slow, groovy rhythm and some good synth work. The low-pitched vocals keep talking about vitamins and substances. You know, at eight minutes, this song really does feel like it goes on for too long - especially when compared to 'Neon Lights', for example. 'Aero Dynamik'... well, er, I guess it <em>is</em> kinda plop-plop, but the syncopation reminds me of those funky, bouncy rhythm of 'Computer World', so it's fine. The bass line is odd and unstable, the synth chords are somewhat dissonant, and the recurring vocals sound quite groovy here. 'Titanium' is pretty much a continuation of the track, by the way. No difference. 'Elektro Kardiogramm' builds a clever, groovy rhythm with heartbeat sounds. Not an innovative idea, I say, but it's a groovy one still. 'La Forme' is a revelation here: the rhythm goes back to parts of 'Autobahn' (YES!), and several of these synth themes are quite beautiful and pleasant. Again, it goes on for almost 9 minutes, and 'R&eacute;g&eacute;neration' is one more minute of the beautiful synth theme fading away.</p>

<p>None of those tracks are highlights, here. Most of them aren't any innovative, or present any smashing ideas, but they're just <em>good</em> to listen to, if you're in the right mood. At least, this stuff is better than I expected. It's quite funny how the album starts okayish (Endless Plop-Plop Techno Suite), becomes very good in the middle, and ends in a <em>fantastic</em> note with the <em>fantastic</em> title track. Yeah, I guess it's not a particularly good thing that the best track of the album is more than 10 years old, but what can I do? It's a great track: clever uses of heavy breathing sounds and bicycley samples, upbeat rhythm, a <em>wonderful</em> main synth theme, and - finally - Ralf H&uuml;tter's pure, unaffected voice. It's obviously very in touch with the <strong>Electric Cafe</strong> material, and I say - if it was on the place of 'Sex Object', that album would have been much better.</p>

<p class="ratingHeader">
  Rating:
</p>

<p class="rating">
  <big>Fun factor:  <strong>12/15</strong></big> - Yes, I have a very reasonable amount of fun with this music.<br />
  <big>Resonance:   <strong>10/15</strong></big> - Ah, well... now you're expecting too much.<br />
  <big>Originality: <strong>11/15</strong></big> - Well, Kraftwerk are still being themselves... but aren't innovating much.<br />
  <big>Richness:    <strong>12/15</strong></big> - Hey, these tracks <em>have</em> good things going on.<br />
  <big>Solidness:   <strong>12/15</strong></big>  - Yeah, sure. It is solid.
</p>

<p class="ratingFinale">
  Total: <img src="images/11.png" alt="11" />
</p>

<p>Any comments? Opinions? <a href="mailto:sirmustapha@gmail.com">Mail me</a>!</p>

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